ABSTRACT
The allophones of a particular phoneme typically have phonetic similarity, that is to say, they have both articulatory and acoustic features in common. The phonemic system may vary considerably from one accent to another, some possessing an extra phoneme contrast or, alternatively, lacking a phoneme contrast present in other varieties. The syllable onset is an optional element, as is the syllable coda. In any language, there are constraints on the possible combinations of sounds which occur in consonant clusters. All languages have cardinal vowels- type open syllables. Most European languages allow both open and closed syllables – although in some, there may be constraints on the types of consonant found in coda position. Native speakers have an awareness of phonemes and hear them as significant linguistic units; differences between allophones of the same phoneme, on the other hand, either pass unnoticed or are shrugged off as insignificant.
